#562 - Grandpa’s Bag of Stories

by Sudha Murty and illustrated by Priya Kuriyan

“Grandpa’s Bag of Stories” by Sudha Murty and illustrated by Priya Kuriyan. Published by Penguin. A delightful collection of heartwarming stories from endearing Ajja (grandpa) to his grandchildren while on a memorable trip to the hills of Uttarakhand.

Ajja and Ajji are all set to go on a trip for a few days. This time they are off to the beautiful and small village of Mayawati in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand where Ajji’s brother Shyam volunteers as a doctor in the hospital for a few months every year. Their grandchildren Anoushka, Krishna, Meenu and Raghu also decide to join them on the trip thanks to their schools being closed. They are in for a pleasant surprise when Ajja unexpectedly turns out to be their storyteller on this trip. That too voluntarily. What more do the curious and bubbly children need?! This makes the journey as well as the stay in Mayawati very exciting for them.

The children explore the region, get to view snow capped mountains, learn about Pahadi way of life and traditions and savour quite a few tales. Ajja masterfully narrates nineteen interesting and magical stories featuring kings, mermaids, misers, gods, animals, fruits and vegetables which amaze the children with their important messages. They also get to hear a couple of tales from the people they meet in the hills enriching their experiences. The book has to be read to savour these captivating tales filled with warmth and simplicity.

What my ten year old and I loved about the book primarily is the way in which the stories have been woven together and fit in so well with the main narrative. The flow between the stories seems so smooth and effortless. The stories are filled with wit making it an enriching read. The book is an ode to the beautiful bond between children and their grandparents. The author has used her personal experiences of having travelled to Mayawati herself before writing the book. This adds a lovely authentic touch to the settings and characters she uses in the book. Having been to the Kumaon region ourselves, although not to Mayawati, we found the stories quite relatable and could picture the settings. The illustrations are charming and bring the characters to life.

This book will always remain a memorable one at our home. Not only did I and my ten year old son love reading the book, but we attended the launch of the book by Mrs Murty. In fact my son got the unique and awesome opportunity being on the podium for the launch itself alongside Mrs Murty and other dignitaries, thanks to the team from Penguin. He was over the moon to be with an author whose books are so comforting and endearing for him. Having seen Mr Murty at the event, my son kept picturing him as the Ajja in the book. He was amused that Ajji had also sneaked in a story between Ajja’s. After all who wouldn’t like to have an extra story! He is now eager to read the older best selling books from the collection namely “Grandma’s Bag of Stories” and “Grandparents’ Bag of Stories”.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 8 and above.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India, for review. Thank you to Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!